Everybody knows that Mt. Everest is the tallest mountain in the world when it comes to peak elevation at 29,032 feet, but did you know that a mountain right here in North America is technically taller when it comes to vertical change?

Yup! Denali, formally known as Mt. McKinley, located in Denali National Park, AK, has the largest vertical rise of any mountain in the world.

Take a look at the post by Denali National Park and Preserve to explain what they mean:

May be an image of mountain and nature

“Denali is taller than Everest. You read that right. The peak of Mt. Everest is 29,032 feet (8,849m) above sea level, making it the mountain with the highest elevation. However, the base of Mount Everest is estimated to be 17,000 feet (5,200m), making the vertical rise of the mountain roughly only 12,000 feet!

Denali, however, has a very low base height of about 2000 feet (610m) with a peak of 20,310 feet. Making Denali’s vertical rise estimated at 18,000 feet (5,500m)! Using this measurement it qualifies Denali as the tallest mountain on land in the world!

This difference in elevation makes Denali an extremely challenging mountain to summit from base to peak.

Combine that with the lack of foothills and a low point in the park at about 250 feet (76m) above sea level. There are places in the park where you can stand and lookup at a full 20,000 feet of mountain! All of these things play into the WOW factor of seeing Denali in all of its glory!”

Featured Image: Denali, Credit:  Barth Bailey on Unsplash

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